Wednesday, September 16, 2009

This is an easy copy-cat (or sort of copy-cat) of Julia Child's famous Beef Bourguignon. I cut the butter completely, and simplified the spices, but the flavor is all there.

And, I have STILL not seen the Julie and Julia movie. I was all set to go with a group of friends, but then got another wave of all-day-I don't-know-why-they-call-it-morning-sickness and found myself glued to the couch on our planned night out. And then school started, and soccer started, and PTA started, and life got a bit complicated.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In the bottom of your stoneware, smear around the olive oil. Then lay down 3 slices of bacon. Add sliced onion and garlic. Put the meat into the pot on top of the onion and garlic, and sprinkle on dried spices and herbs. Toss the meat to distribute the spices to all sides. Add tomato paste. Lay the other 3 slices of bacon on top of the meat, and throw in the carrots. Pour wine over the whole thing.

Cover and let cook on low for 8-9 hours, high for 4-5, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. If you are using a roast, you may want to flip the meat about an hour before serving so more liquid is absorbed into the meat. You can also cut the meat into chunks and return to the pot, if you would like more moisture to absorb.

Serve with whipped mashed potatoes, and a ladle full of crock juices.

mmm.

The Verdict.

We all really liked this a lot. The kids weren't crazy about the carrots, because they took on the wine flavor and were a bit tart, but Adam and I loved them like that. The meat had lots of flavor, and I was quite pleased with the amount of juice left in the slow cooker---it made an excellent gravy. I didn't try to thicken it up on the stove top with cornstarch or flour, but if you enjoy making gravy, I'd imagine it would be wonderful.

78 comments:

Hi! I'm a frequent reader and I often make the meals you kindly place here. Just thought it was about time I commented and said "thank you'! :) I saw the movie with my husband and we both loved it! I'll have to make this next week...and talk like Julia that day. ;)

Mmmm..... Thanks for posting this. I have a pot roast I was planning on putting in the crock this weeekend but I'm a little tired of the same old pot roast. I have all these ingredients so we will try it out!

movie was excellent. Julie/Julia was one of the first food blogs I read, then I read Julie's book. I made my own version of your orange chicken for dinner last night. Next up? Mongolian Beef.Thank you!!!

Ooh, this sounds wonderful! Ever since I saw the J&J movie (you must!), I've been wanting to make this but without the butter, as I have to be dairy-free as well as GF, much as I'd love to eat all the butter and cream laden stuff again (le heavy sigh). Wonderful to see that it worked in the crock pot! I'm mostly a lurker but had to to say a hearty thanks for your great recipes and inspiration!

Mmm I'll have to try this! I saw Julie & Julia and loved the Julia Child half of the movie, but the other half kinda fell short. I was so intrigued by this dish in the movie, though - but it looks so labor intensive and intimidating - crockpot version looks much better to me!! :)

I'm giving away a copy of your cookbook on my blog! I cannot WAIT until it comes out, I'm also getting myself one too!

Thanks for this recipe! I have a bunch of roasts sitting in my deep freeze awaiting a destiny...and I think this will be one of them! lol! I saw Julie and Julia...and while the ending disappointed me greatly, it was still a really great movie up until the end (LOL!) enjoy it when you can make it!

Great photos...your recipes really make we want to start cooking this minute. I use almost exactly this same recipe except that mine calls for 1 C beef broth or stock and 1 cup of wine. Your kids might like that a little better...it would be so "Winey"

Yep, thought of you the whole time I was watching that movie. And for all the times Julie struggled, with her self-set deadlines, her husband, etc., I thought "That's nothing, Stephanie did it with KIDS."

We love the traditional oven-cooked recipe, but there are definitely days we'd like to throw it on in the morning and come home to dinner. Thanks for posting this--it looks the most like the "real thing" that I've seen for a crockpot.

The original recipe called for 3.5 tablespoons of butter, along with 3.5 tablespoons of olive oil. That, along with the bacon, just feels wrong... it's not good for me, and I don't want the kids growing up getting used to that much fat and oil in their food.

Hi Steph! just popping in with a guide to pronunciation (as I live in France ;-D )

boor-geen-yohn is about the closest I can get, but you don't pronounce the final n like in John, it's a kind of nasal 'n' sound.

Must try this version. I have already followed a pretty classic bourgignon recipe in the slow cooker, like you leaving out most of the fat, since stewing steak usually has a lot of fat in it already.

Anyway just to add that I tried the orange chicken the other day and my DH just LOVED it. And he's one who is usually a bit wary of sweet and sour flavors together... so thanks for your great blog and congrats on the book and your own special slowcooking project! :D

not a dumb question. It was mostly still frozen. I soaked the meat in the ziplock in some hot water to release the meat from the bag. You can safely use frozen meat when the rest of the ingredients are room temp, which I had with the onion and red wine.

I do love this site, and check it often. I miss last year when you were under deadline to add everyday... :).

Just a comment about the morning sickness - I had it so bad I was on the drugs they give chemo patients, I gave birth weighing 10# less than I got pregnant at. Finally a nurse told me to eat a carb with a protein, never one of those alone, and you will be much better off. It helps immensely - didn't stop it all, but helped. Peanutbutter crackers at the top of every hour, bathroom at the bottom of every hour, everything else inbetween.

Hey, Steph! Congratulations on baby #3!! Thanks for the copy cat of JC's BB! I saw the movie a couple of weeks ago and loved loved loved it. Only bloggers will *get* certain scenes like when she got her very first comment! lol I've been dying to make BB ever since, but haven't gotten around to it! I think I'm going to give your version a try. I pre-ordered your cookbook on Amazon and I'm really happy for you! Take care,Shelley in Marin

Congratulations! Your readers have submitted and voted for your blog at The Daily Reviewer. We compiled an exclusive list of the Top 100 recipes Blogs, and we are glad to let you know that your blog was included! You can see it at http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/recipes

P.S. This is a one-time notice to let you know your blog was included in one of our Top 100 Blog categories. You might get notices if you are listed in two or more categories.

P.P.S. If for some reason you want your blog removed from our list, just send an email to angelina@thedailyreviewer.com with the subject line "REMOVE" and the link to your blog in the body of the message.

Oh.Wow. My friend KZK is always raving about your blog on Facebook so I thought i'd drop by, especially as i've recently dusted off my slo-cooker in preparation for a Scottish winter!I'll definitely be back :o)

I wrote a blog where I posed the question "Will your Crock-Pot burn your house down?" One of my readers linked to you in comments, so I had to come check you out. I'm going to have to try some of these recipes. I think I'll try the orange chicken this weekend!

I just discovered this blog last night, when I accidentally defrosted lamb instead of steak (agh) and then found your lamb olive and onion tagine recipe...put it together for the next night's dinner...whew! Anyway, I just got married 6 months ago and learning to love cooking ;) Love the slow-cooker, and I'm also wheat intolerant so the blog is perfect! Thanks, Monica

Stephanie, is your book available in the UK? There's a Borders in town, but I haven't seen it there. If not, will order. Glad you're still posting! We have moved to the UK and a cheap slow cooker is the first thing I bought!

What a fabulous dinner this made for online forum friends visiting from out of town. "Simple elegance", I believe they called it :)Even my 8 yo son scarfed down a fair amount. This is going into regular rotation around here!Thanks!

I just wanted to thank you, not just for this amazing recipe, but for ALL of them! I've got a 3 year old, and 18 month old, and I am also slow-cooking another! I've tried out a few of your recipes here and there. Recently, I sat down to write our next 2 week menu and create the grocery list when I realized my dilemma. I am absolutely exhausted in the evening! I decided the next two weeks would be slow-cooker meals only! I planned our menu and shopped for the groceries. My hubby got quite a chuckle when I told him how the next 2 weeks of cooking would go. Anyway, it's been just a few days and I find myself saying out loud every evening, "God Bless the Slow-Cooking Superhero, Stephanie". I have this recipe in the crock pot now, and I can not wait for dinner! My husband is LOVING the recipes. He feels pampered with such tasty food every night. The easy clean-up is a plus. I'm really thinking our next two weeks will be the same, but I look forward to trying new recipes. I can not wait until your book is out. I plan on buying MANY to gift to my sisters and other family. You are a gem, and a true super-hero in our home!Thank you and God pour His blessings on you,Alexi from Arizona

It is delicious, made it yesterday, had it for lunch with brown rice today. Forgot to put in the salt, and didn't use garlic. Used London Broil on sale, tender within hours. This one's a keeper. Now, on to the Orange Chicken.

I made this last week for my husband and parents. It was a HIT! I used 1 cup wine and 1 cup beef stock instead of 2 cups wine and it turned out great. VERY moist meat and very flavorful. I will definitely make this again.

Awesome recipe! I'm trying to break out of my chili and mulled cider rut with my crockpot and this was the recipe to do it! I only used 3 slices of bacon and added 2 cups of crimini mushrooms. Yum! My husband loved it (he never likes new recipes, especially of the slow cooker variety), I loved it because when I got home from work the house smelled wonderful, dinner was done, and there was an open bottle of wine waiting for me. My 2 yo didn't eat any but she's only eating oranges and almonds today. Any slow cooker recipes using those? Thanks for all your experimenting and sharing the results with us!

So, I came upon this Blog by accident and am addicted and am making everything. Tonight it's this, and I have to say I'm extremely excited!!! It's been so cold here in Omaha, Ne that I've wanted to make some warmer heavier things and this will do the trick. And with an 18 month old running around my 24 week preggo self is having a hard enough time finding the time to get dressed in the morning, I love the slow cooker, and make the dinner while she naps in the morning!!! And in the evening with my hubby comes home, it's on the table in minutes!!! Thank you so much!!! I'll let you know how we all like it!!!

Have to say - this dinner was delicious! So good in fact, that my husband went back for seconds (and this never happens!). Served it over mashed potatos (had to boil those, but I should have tossed them in the crockpot earlier in the day). Delicous! Thank you for all the great crockpot meal ideas.... you have definitely gotten us to pull it back out of hiding, and put it to use every week!

yum.. my mom is french so I grew up eating this. You can serve it with rice or multicolored pasta instead of mashed potatoes to change it up next time! It is almost the same recipe as Coq au Vin.. but with beef instead of chicken!

Hi Stephanie. I've been reading your blog for a good while and always enjoy the recipes I try.

So I'm hunting for ways to use up some really old red wine that's been open for months and tastes too awful to drink. Do you think I could use not-so-tasty red wine in this recipe and have it come out okay?

I really, really like it that you want to use up the wine----it's quite frugal-minded, but I would strongly recommend NOT doing so. Once the wine turns dark and has an off-odor, it's bad, and it will make the food taste off.

Hi, This looks very good, and if there is anyway to simplify a complex recipe and still get the effect, I'm all for it. I am wondering though: you didn't mention browning the meat at all. Was this intentional or an oversight? The lack of flavor from slow cooking meat that has not been seared first is, I think, why some people think slow cookers are only producers of mushy, boiled-tasting stuff. Thanks!

Definitely not an oversight! I hate cooking before I cook, and while I have browned meat in the past, I no longer do so. My family can't taste the difference, and it saves me valuable time in both stove-watching and pan-cleaning. If you prefer to brown, then by all means go for it!

As for mushy meat, the longer you cook, the more tender the meat. I like the meat to be fall-apart tender, so I don't have to use a knife, but if you'd like more of a chew, don't cook it as long.

Cool recipe, I really like your blog, though I must say some of the ideas are pretty horrifying (I used to brown, now I don't????).

One idea from Joy of Cooking that works really well (especially with not-so-good meat) is to put all the ingredients together in the fridge the night before, and let them marinade, then slow cook them.

Oh, and to Rambling Girl, if it's not obvious already: the best wine to use for cooking is wine that is dirt cheap but still drinkable. It can't be rotten, and it can't taste like motor oil, cardboard, or metal. Everything else is perfectly okay.

made this today, absolutely delicious, and so easy! ironically saw the movie last wknd, and had been wanting to try it, so when i saw this recipe, i knew that was what i was making today! perfect w/ mashed potatoes, and we had roasted brussel sprouts on the side... yum!

Made this tonight for my boyfriend and I. He had 2 helpings (which he NEVER does!) and RAVED about it. Thanks for the recipe. It was a super easy meal that I put on before I went to work. Delicious... and good enough to entertain with!

I LOVE your blog! I have tried many of your recipes. They have all been great. I made this tonight and it was fantastic. The only thing was that it was a bit oily--I think from not cooking the bacon beforehand?-I used stew meat and it was delicious. We didn't even serve it over anything--just ate it out of a bowl.

Thanks so much for your recipes. I am addicted to my crockpot too and use it almost everyday!

Very good. The only changes I made were that I didn't use the bacon, and I used 1 cup of beef broth + 1 cup of homemade red wine. I let everything marinate in the fridge overnight, then let it slow cook all day. When I got home from work, I transferred most of the liquid to a pot and thickened it with cornstarch over the stove for about 10 min., then returned the liquid to the meat and veggies, and served it over a mix of mashed white and sweet potatoes. Would make again. Thanks for sharing !

Tried this tonight since I was working all day and going straight to a basketball game. I came home cold and tired to the most delicious smell, and my husband reheating the mashed potatoes I had made last night in anticipation.

Thank you so much for your recipes and your research! You are making dinner possible on a lot of days when we would have eaten fast food in the past!

Just wanted to let you know we tried this last night and it was yummy! I didn't have any red wine so I used about a cup of Chardonnay instead and it tasted great. The best part was that no one in the family even knew there was wine in it.

I've wanted to make this recipe for years but have been terrified I'd botch it. I'm excited to try it in the slow cooker! I'm also going to be trying a bunch of your recipes this week. I work full time outside the home and go to school so this will be a great way (I'm hoping) to have homemade meals for me, my husband, and 3 year old daughter daily!

Hi Stephanie!Just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful recipes and website. It's been a life saver for me since getting dxed with Celiac while caring for my newborn!This recipe is my favorite - today is the third time I'm making it, first time with a whole grass fed beef roast. Stew meat worked wonderfully the first two times!Thanks again :)